The dramatic high point of this week’s City Council meeting (Thursday) is likely to be the 6:30 evening briefing, devoted to the recommendations coming out of the “quality of life” forums for the African-American community held last month on the Eastside. City staff and consultant Robena Jackson of Group Solutions RJW will deliver a report based on the citizen feedback in the six forums, which brought out some 700 people and generated both public discussion and “hundreds” of written comments. A press release says the report will focus on two questions: 1) Is the quality of life in the African-American community different from that of other Austinites? 2) Is the quality of life in Austin markedly different from what African-Americans experience in other cities? The council is expected to develop an “action plan” to address whatever recommendations derive from the report.
It’s budget time again, more or less, and the 1pm briefing is devoted to City Manager Toby Futrell’s presentation of the “policy planning goals” in preparing the FY 2005-2006 budget. Financial forecasts have been reasonably optimistic, although increasing costs (especially for health care and insurance) suggest that the draft budget that will eventually come to council will still be short in some areas.
Also returning to the agenda: a potential five-year contract with Pepsi Bottling Group for vending in city buildings, postponed earlier, in part because union activists charged that the franchise is not negotiating in good faith with a fledgling drivers union. Word is that labor negotiations remain deadlocked and there will be a move to “indefinitely postpone” any agreement. The Canyon Creek MUD proposal returns, and we presumably learn whether the MUD board has favorably responded to city overtures for a truce in the decades-long battle. Also on the schedule, after several postponements: the Gables at Westlake zoning case. If they settle that one, the lions will be arriving to lie down with the lambs.
This article appears in May 27 • 2005.
